The Practiced Mind: Cultivating Balance and Sensitivity Through the Non Discursive Mind

Published on 05/11/15 by randy

We can experience through the mind of discourse, through the dichotomous nature of language/thought or we can experience through the ‘no thought mind’, the awareness that comes from direct experience in the gap between thoughts. The degree to which we practice within these realms determines our skill at functioning in them. Essentially, it’s the law that what we put attention to grows stronger and what we don’t diminishes. When we embark upon a skill it’s almost always necessary to engage the linguistic mind as we receive direction from books, various media platforms and teachers. Our mind is filled with linguistically based instructions. The more we practice the less we need to be separated from the activity by the thought filled mind. The ‘practitioner’ eventually develops greater balance and sensitivity to the skill to eventually touch the nonverbal. Many factors go into the speed with which this happens, perhaps the most important being whether or not the student has practice in extending the ‘no thought’ gap. This place of deepening balance and sensitivity has sometimes been labeled as ‘flow’, ‘in the zone’, ‘peak experience’ and it’s always referring to that experience that’s outside the bounds of language limitation. There’s usually a report of letting go the abstract notions of time and space. Einstein’s Theory of Relativity takes on new meaning. While it seems most of us never have this experience, we can identify it in others. Their performance carries a depth we can’t deny and it’s always got the element of ‘no effort’. It’s as if they’ve surrendered to something that’s bigger than their ego identity and we witness the richness of the creative experience.

Today we place great emphasis on those individuals who practice daily their attachment to the thought filled mind. The linguistic thoughts they carry deepen as they seek out others who carry the same thoughts. The skills at presenting these fixed thoughts improve with practice and they deepen their ability to persuade others to carry the similar thoughts. Nationalism, religion, political parties and attorneys depend upon this. Our educational system does little to promote the practice of the open, no thought mind. For many, this very concept is foreign and here I am using language to point to this practice. Yet, this non discursive mind has carried huge benefit to my life and the various skills I’m passionate about. It’s given me deep respect for the depth of skill we’re today seeing in sports and music. The ‘no thought’ mind surrenders to explore new territory in confidence to a bigger support. The cultivation of balance and sensitivity is outside the realms of needing approval from others. It’s experience from the ‘whole heart’, coming from the non dualistic mind. It’s intimate, stylistic, harmonic and balanced. Some would say it’s the real meaning of intercourse. We all touch the beauty of the practitioner well versed in the non discursive mind. Opening the hand of no thought comes from disciplined practice. We experience, in our awareness, the depth of balance and sensitivity and consequently are inspired.

Clearly, we need to practice the linguistic mind and develop skills from thought based systems. Yet, when we see that as the limit of skill, our performance will always just be at a plateau. Our body/mind/spirit growth will stall. Our choice to participate in the vast opportunities life presents will freeze as we close out diversity and seek a homogenous universe of those who think like we think. The creative experience commands the mind that’s open to ‘no thought’ awareness. Some have called this the art of awareness, and I’d tend to say it’s a skill and art that takes a dedicated practice. If we want a balanced, sensitive universe, perhaps we need to put more of an emphasis upon it’s development within ourselves. We’re all creators of the universe.